1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to web-based video display and specifically to managing video and advertising content in an online content distribution system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The sharing of video content on websites has developed into a worldwide phenomenon, supported by dozens of websites. On average, over 10,000 videos are posted every day, and this number is increasing as the tools and opportunities for capturing video become easy to use and more widespread. Shared video content provides opportunities to present advertising material to viewers along with the requested video content. However, some mechanisms for delivering advertising with shared video have been relatively ineffective, while others are perceived by users as being objectionable.
People who use video sharing services have a wide range of motivations for using those services. Some are interested in specific information in the shared content, while others are just browsing in a leisurely manner through the content. Advertising that appears in conjunction with the video content, in order to be effective as well as maintain a satisfactory experience for the user, needs to be presented in a manner that takes these widely varying user characteristics into account. Ideally, the advertisements are presented in a manner that minimizes user abandonment of videos in response to what is perceived as intrusive advertising.
For example, an advertisement that appears before a requested video is likely to be viewed by the user. However, such pre-roll ads can also cause the user to grow impatient while waiting for the requested video to appear and lead the user to abandon the video. Additionally, a user can easily ignore a post-roll advertisement that appears after the requested video.
There remains a need for a way to present requested video content and advertising in a manner that is both satisfying to the viewer and effective for advertisers.